


Where Change is Painless

by EnInkahootz



Series: Always and Forever [1]
Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Afterlife, Brothers, Can be brotherly love or romance, Gen, M/M, Mostly just Klaus, Part of a series but stands on its own, Telepathy, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-07-18 01:31:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16107986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnInkahootz/pseuds/EnInkahootz
Summary: In the afterlife Klaus is able to change into his wolf form with no pain.





	Where Change is Painless

In the afterlife, Klaus didn’t have to clean up his paints when he was done. A simple thought could have made everything spotless, but Klaus preferred to use his hands. He watched as the turquoise paint ran down the drain. He felt the brush bristles between his fingertips as the water ran over them. When he was done, Klaus put his art supplies away in their precise places and began to remove his clothes.

Of course, it wouldn’t have mattered if his clothes had ripped. The magic of this realm would have allowed him to repair them instantly. But Klaus liked it this way. He folded his Henley shirt and hung up his leather pants. Once he was wrapped in his robe, he brought himself outside at vampire speed.

Along the way Klaus stopped by the stable to feed his horse a sugar cube. Theo nuzzled Klaus’ hand with an appreciative whinny.

When Klaus reached the edge of the forest he shed his robe. Nude, he positioned himself on his hands and knees, and with a smile Klaus made the change. There was no pain, here in this land of the dead, and the switch took only an instant, required only a thought. 

Klaus’ wolf form was grey and towering, and he settled his humanoid mind into its animal body. When his body and mind clicked into sync, it was as though everything came into focus. The wolf had always been with him, even when the curse had shackled it. Though he had eventually rescued his wolf side from its prison, Klaus had not truly gotten to know that part of himself before his death. But now that he was in the afterlife, he had the ease and time to explore the aspect of himself that he had fought for so long to regain.

Bounding into the woods, Klaus enjoyed the feel of the dirt against the pads of his paws. Everything was vivid, everything was raw, and Klaus was scared of nothing. In his humanoid form, when he acted as though he had no fear it often meant he was secretly terrified. But it was different when he was in his wolf form. The confidence was real. Even before he came to this paradise, his wolf self thought more clearly, thought as though everything was simple, and solid. The self-hatred was gone, having grown irrelevant and faded away. The past didn’t matter either, only the moment.

He came to his favorite stream and drank. In this form, the wild water tasted better than any drink he had ever had. Klaus decided to rest for a little by the stream. He plopped his body down, stretching his paws out in front of himself and resting his head on them. 

Klaus ended up drifting off and woke some time later to the sound of a small animal scurrying nearby. He stood and perked up his ears, but decided he was not in the mood to hunt. Instead Klaus used his thought to alter his surroundings, the forest melting into a vast snow-covered landscape. He ran up and down the gentle hills, carving a trail of pawprints in the blank white fluff. Fresh snow was landing on his fur and he stuck out his tongue to savor the feeling of the cold dots landing on its warm surface. Klaus dove into the snow with his enormous form, burrowing in with delight.

When he resurfaced he shook his body vigorously, shedding the snow flakes, then used a paw to brush the snow from his eyes. Blinking away the wetness, he saw a figure appear suddenly in the distance, and Klaus’ ears stood at attention.

_“Brother”_ , Klaus heard Elijah’s voice speak silently into his mind. The figure came slowly closer. Klaus stood with an alert yet peaceful stillness only his wolf form was capable of and watched as the figure transformed from the shape of a man to that of a large brown wolf.

_“Elijah?”_ Klaus said into his brother’s mind, _“what are you doing?"_ They stepped close to one another and sniffed at each other’s muzzles.

_“Since we are able to do most anything here, I thought I might see what it’s like for you. I have always wondered.”_ He looked into Klaus’ eyes, and Klaus felt close to Elijah in a way he never could have imagined.

_“I will show you all my favorite spots, brother,”_ Klaus replied, warmth in his soundless voice. Together they ran as Klaus morphed the snowy hilltop around them into a grassy plain below a night sky lit by a full moon’s glow.


End file.
